Lamp socket and resistor



Dec. 28, 1948. Q s, PENFOLD 2,457,488

LAMP 'SOCKET AND REsIsToR y Filed Aug. 11, 1945 'if l 1 llllllll 50 EVvGf.

Patented Dec. 28, 1948 En STATES ore-LCE' Charles` St Penfold.;`Bronson;A assigner to;v

H; Douglas Co., Bronson-Micha ancor,i4

' pnrationi offMichigan This invention relates' generally to-lampsockets" and; more particularlyz has:` to v do@ withwhatisknown-'in Athetrarle-as aminiature. lamp socket Lpreferably` adaptedfforldetachable-connec` tion* with respect4 toV 'anc instrument* panel` off anfprovedI` resistanceVV means*A for' reducing"Y theintensity of'Athecurrent `to'the lampcarried by-the socket.

theresistance' means"and-socketiare'pernnmentlyL securedi *togetheriaemanneri whereby to; insure;d

positive electricaly connectionsbetween` th'epa-rtsr Other obj ects" andadvantages-l of the iiven-A tion will appear after reading thedescriptiom Hereinafter-set forth conjunctien with the drawingsannexed*hereto,l wherein-two embodi'f mentsofl tlre--inventionfare#illistrated.`

In thedrawingsel f Figure 1-'is-'-aside=-VieW'-of lamp socket, partly insection, showing the invention applied thereto;

Figure 2 is a rearJ end'yiew4 ofA` the socket and resistancezmeans.; u

Figure 3 is a section taken throughtafpart of the device.illustrating.more in,.detail.,certain of the principles ofdesign and constructionembodied in the assembly; and

`rigure 4l.is another. embodimentof theinvention.-

Referring 'l toA the rstembodiment offtheinvention'v illustrated-inlFigures-111V@through '32' of the drawing numeral- I` representsL atubulari lamp socket, -bod'yt providedwith holdinigfmeansf 2?* ad;-jacent= its front extremity 'for detachable dis*- positionf infra'-circular opening `Elf-of a mounting 4 to support the body. The rearextremity of the body carries resistance means 5. A miniature lamp 6 isseated in the socket body and a, terminal l, mounted `on a carrier 8 ofinsulating material, is pressed into engagement with the contact 9 ofthe lamp by a helical spring I0. The holding means 2 includes an annularbase I I provided with a plurality `of forwardly extending ngers whichare designed to snap into the opening and engage its margins.

A ring I2 is utilized to attach the holding means to the socket, andincludes an axially extending portion I3 and a pair of spaced apartinwardly extending radial portions I4 and I5. The front extremity of thesocket body is provided with an outwardly extending radial flange I6, ofa diameter substantially corresponding to the diameter of the base I Iof the holding means,

" 3I1Claims. (01.;2014-49- located limtlie"l ring;y |23'V The bodyY isfinsulated electricallysfrom: thifrn'ounting.; This isfprefer.ablyvaccomplishedf in partfby disposing a pair of lcon-respondingapertured; washers I'| and |8l betweenthea-base.v |1|- andy flange lli;Yandilf'ange`-V |-6l anclfracli'aaltportion` z l5; respectively,`and/#placing a5. tubular;` insulator: 50i between. the? peripheries ofbase.' I I i, .washers f |f`| and |835 and the axiall on'basef'porti'onu I 3`iotf'thef ring. It will-vv bef noted thatthe baseportion tlf"engagesfthefradial por tion |141 of-Litheering;thatthefllatterengages this'- mmmftingirand-lthatithei ring.cannot'fengagef the socketl body due ton-the pruvisionl of aclearanceaperture |005- Thel ringI or' collar thus eservesfto rmlyi'secure ythe-lhioldingcmeans.x and? associated parts: adjacentthef Ifront extremity"of thel sockettogether.:I I

Ther-resistanceemeans i'and "means `-for7 attach ingr sanitoi thesocket: willnow-f be described. The resistancameans 5l-ispreferablymadein the form 1of..fa1 mouldedannular blckllofcarbonpermanentlyi secured fad-j aeent therear end wall I 9" oft thef-sockietby: a-ftub'ular 4 conductor- 2lla? The conductor.'extendsthroughll the#wall? I9,l through anopem'ngzinl the resistance-means; and is flangedat2| to engage the inner surfwel of-fth'ewall `|9` and at1.22..to1rengage1af-considerable area' ofthe rearzsideofitheresistancemeans;4 l Aninsulated conductor 23-Iext'endsthroughfthetubular con-- vidediinfzthe'resistance-means and surrounds the tubularconductor 20. A flat terminall member Zins l:carried by; the insulatingsleeve 24l and an insulatingwasher' 26 is-carried by-r the tubularvconductor--2|)` The-terminar member 25 is'preferably-1lprovidedwitli-Lav take-oir*- 2)'|' adaptedto detachably accommodate aplug conductor terminal.

When the resistance means 5 is subjected to an electric current, or isotherwise subjected to heat it expands and on cooling contracts. Inorder to compensate for any variation in this respect and at all timesmaintain the resistance means in intimate electrical engagement orbearing relation with the terminal member 25 and flange 22 and theflange 2| in engagement with the end Wall I9 of the socket, resilientmeans 28, carried by the sleeve 24, is preferably interposed between thewasher 26 and the terminal member 25. The resilient means may take anyform, provided same produces an axial force when compressed or placedunder tension. The resistance means, preferably in the form of anapertured spring disc, also portions to press the insulating washer 26and radial flange 2l of the tubular conductor 20 against the end wall I9of the socket body. By this arrangement the socket body is insulatedfrom the mounting 4, and the current is caused to travel in apredetermined path. Also the parts are substantially held againstvibration.

When the parts are assembled as illustrated in Figures 1 through 3, andconnected in an electric circuit, current will pass from the terminal 1attached to the insulated conductor 23 to the center contact 9 on thelamp, and from the lamp base to the terminal take-off member 25 throughthe intermediation of the socket body, tubular conductor 29, andresistance means 5. The resistance means thus serves to reduce theintensity of the current supplied to the bulb, and is particularlydesirable for use in a system where certain illuminating devices requiremore current than others.

In the modified assembly illustrated in Figure 4, resilient means 29,corresponding in character to the means 28, functions to urge theresistance means 30 directly against the end wall 3| of a socket body32. The resistance means 29 is mounted on an insulating sleeve 33 withinwhich is disposed a tubular member 34. The tubular member 34 is providedwith radial flanges 35 and 36 adjacent its inner and outer extremities.An

insulating washer 31 and a terminal take-ofi member 33 are alsopreferably carried by the insulating sleeve 33, the washer beinginterposed between the inner flange 35 and end wall 3| and the member 38between the resistance means 30 and the resilient means 29. In themodified arrangement, the current will pass from a contact 39 attachedto the conductor 40 to the center contact on the lamp, and from the lampbase to the terminal take-oir member 38 through the intermediation ofthe socket body 32 and the resistance means 30. It will be manifest thatthe resilient means 29 functions to hold the desired parts in intimatecontact and prevent vibration as in the case of the first embodiment ofthe invention, and this current does not pass through the tubular member34.

Having thus described my invention, it is ob vious that various othermodifications may be made in the same without departing from the spiritof the invention; and, therefore, I do not wish to be understood aslimiting myself to the exact forms of construction, arrangements, and

combination of Darts herein shown and described.

I claim:

1. A lamp socket and resistance element asa support, a metal sleeveextending axially from the opposite end of said casing having a passagecommunicating with the interior of the casing for accommodating aconductor wire and having an outwardly extending flange on the endthereof remote from said casing, a layer of insulating materialsurrounding said sleeve, a resistance element mounted on said layer ofinsulating material and electrically connected to said sleeve byengaging said flange, a terminal unit also mounted on said layercomprising a metal mounting part disposed between said casing and saidresistance element and having electrical contact with the latter, and aninsulating washer disposed between said part and said casing wherebycurrent will be caused to flow from said casing through said sleeve,resistance element, and said terminal unit.

2. A socket and resistance element assembly comprising a sheet metalhousing having a plug receiving opening at one end and an inturnedflange at its opposite end, a sleeve extending axially from said angedend of said housing having an outwardly extending ilange within thelatter and abutting the inturned side of said first mentioned flange ininterlocking engagement therewith, a solid type resistance elementmounted on and surrounding said sleeve having an extremity in abuttingengagement with said inturned flange, an outwardly extending flange onthe end of said sleeve remote from said housing and adjacent theopposite extremity of said resistance element, and resilient meansinterposed between said last mentioned iiange and said oppositeextremity of said resistance element for pressing the element againstsaid inturned flange.

3. The structure defined in claim 2, including terminal means disposedbetween said element and Said resilient means whereby said terminalmeans is also pressed against said element,

CHARLES S. PENFOLD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 244,331 Stanley July 12, 1881515,970 Ries March 6, 1894 717,468 Strauss Dec. 30, 1902 1,188,596Wilson June 27, 1916 1,416,948 Donahoe May 23, 1922 1,603,271 DaviesOct. 19, 1926 2,089,935 Batcheller July 27, 1937 2,337,746 GarstrangDec. 28, 1943

